I am pleased to announce today the appointment of a taskforce to examine the latest scientific evidence on the impacts of ethanol and other biofuel use on human health, environmental outcomes and automotive operations.
On this basis, and taking into account the most recent economic analyses of fuel supply in Australia, the Taskforce will assess the costs and benefits of biofuel production.
The Taskforce will examine:
the findings of the December 2003 CSIRO/ABARE/BTRE desktop study into the appropriateness of a 350 million litre biofuels target;
the findings of the DEH study into the impacts of E10 and E20 on automotive operation;
other international and Australian scientific research on the health and environmental impacts of supplementing fossil fuels with oxygenates such as ethanol and other biofuel blends;
the economic and scientific bases upon which decisions have been made to support ethanol and other biofuel production in North America, Europe and other countries.
The Taskforce will comprise Dr Conall O'Connell, Deputy Secretary, Department of Environment and Heritage; Dr David Brockway, Chief, Division of Energy Technology, CSIRO; Dr John Keniry, Chairman Ridley Corporation Limited; and Mr Max Gillard, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Toyota Technical Centre, Asia Pacific Australia.
The Taskforce will report to the Government by the end of July 2005.
It will be supported by a small whole-of-government secretariat based in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.